PADRAIG HARRINGTON SAYS he knows there is plenty of room for improvement in his game but believes if he can get his putting right this week, the rest will follow.
The Irish golfer goes into the US Masters, which begins on Thursday, on the back of a 10th-place finish in the Texas Open last weekend, and would love nothing more than to improve on 2012 (where he was eighth) by winning the Green Jacket.
However, the 42-year-old doesn’t feel pressurised about adding to his three Major wins and is confident in his own ability despite being unable to reach such lofty heights in recent years.
“It’s always nice to be at a Major,” he told RTE today. “The key is to get your head around things Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so you feel ready when you tee up on Thursday.
I was playing very well last year. All through the year my wedge play was great and my tee-to-green stuff was excellent. I wasn’t chipping as well and I was struggling on the greens.
“This year, I’ve not played well tee-to-green and my wedge play is poor but I’m chipping a bit better and while I’m not that happy with my putting it’s better than it was last year. The rest of the game will look after itself if I can do that.”
Having made adjustments to his putting, Harrington explained that he recently broke his putter and will need to put an emphasis on his short game over the coming week.
“My putting is up and down,” he says. “I’ve have had a couple of magnificent weeks this year and a couple of really poor ones. I do need to get my head around that this week – that’s crucial.
“The biggest point for me over the next couple of days is to get my head in the right place when it comes to putting. The rest of it will fall into place if I can do that.
I know I’ve got a chance of winning Majors because I’ve won three already. I’m comfortable with the fact that I know how to do it. It’s just about biding my time and waiting for my turn to come around again.
“Hopefully I’ll find it this week. I haven’t come in here having found it. I’m not buzzing about my putting, there’s still a lot that needs to be done.
“There are a lot of things that are a bit up in the air but I’m not panicking about it. I know better than that. It’s easier when I come to a Major because I’ve already done it.”
Listen to the full RTE interview here
